Saturday, December 7, 2013

There is a Chinese inside the Red Palace. Yes, there is Chinese food inside the Red Palace Restaurant. Food in this restaurant is pretty good. I like to say good for health for those seafoods and vegetables.

While waiting for your order, they serve you with tea.

They serve in plain white cups and plates. The simpler the better.

Here comes our order. and more to come...

I cannot say anything more because I would like to taste the food now.

They also deliver fast; I tried it several times already. Red Palace Seafood Restaurant is just a stone's throw away from Sulu Hotel located at Malakas Street, Diliman, Quezon City.

Saturday, November 30, 2013

Remember how much it costs for your freshly bought fish from Farmer's Market to be cooked in Dampa? Roving the countryside gives me a lot of experience that cannot be bought by money. One of which is the appreciation and recognition of everything unique in a certain locality. That includes food of course.

How many pieces can you consume?

I am well-fed when I go out of town. I mean when I go out of the office to visit other regions. Not only because firefighters in the Philippines are most hospitable ever wherever part of the country I may go - that's a fact. Moreover, I find the food which are "dollarly" priced in Metro Manila to be cheaper in other parts of the Philippines.

Paluto in San Francisco

Take for instance the restaurant we visited about two nights ago in San Francisco, Agusan del Sur. Seafoods? They have it at a cheaper price. Crabs walking and lobsters alive before being cooked. You choose your own and they'll cook it while you wait.

Don't bother sharing because you have your own.

In Tudlo-Luto Mana-ay Seafood House, I had to consume what must not be left. Thanks to my younger colleagues who shared with me the fun. I was thinking of a lot of people affected by typhoon waiting for relief items to feed their hunger but in my table there was plenty of crabs, shrimps, squid and the like. For the common tilapia in the metropolis, that's just an ordinary soup.

Don't leave this precious food unconsumed.

I can't recall its name.

Tilapia soup

The restaurant is located in the National Highway, Barobo-bound, walking distance from Paseo de San Francisco Hotel Suites.

Sunday, November 10, 2013

Sexbomb dancers say so: "spaghetti pababa, spaghetti pataas!" The pancit family of foods is said to bless us with long life because of its being physically long.

Egg Noodles

Pancit for long life. In Bicol, we have the famous pansit bato. It's named not because a bato (rock) is used to make it but because the town of Bato in Camarines Sur is the official headquarters of pancit-making industry in the region.

How about 'tanghon?' At home, we raise native chicken in the backyard. We cook sotanghon with our native chicken and then it's so yummy!

Bihon

Bihon. In Metro Manila, I'm confused the way people call bihon as pancit. At home in the province, bihon is bihon while pancit is different.

Generally speaking, I refers these foods to belong to the pancit family. In Metro Manila, one can go to an eat-all-you-can restaurant and he can see all of them in one table. You can try visiting Tongyang, I'm pretty sure pancit family is there.

Thursday, November 7, 2013

Two weeks ago, a friend gave us this sardines in a bottle, Saranggani Bay. I like Spanish sardines and I liked its taste. It is from Alabel, Saranggani Province, a place where I have already been. So far, Saranggani is the farthest place I have reached in Mindanao. I have reached as far as Alabel and Glan where white sand is so enticing. Never did I swim in Glan, Saranggani for personal reasons. However, what I can assure you of is IT'S PARADISE!

I like the taste of Saranggani Bay sardines and as always, its spicy flavoring. I like spanish sardines because it comes usually in natural flavors. There are no artificial flavors and no other added chemicals. There are more reasons for me to go into organic products especially nowadays. Maybe you can have a taste of one.

I may or may not be in love but I could say that I still love chocolates. I can give myself a present from time to time by buying for myself a chocolate. I only cannot crack the nuts for now but I do still love to eat chocolates.

There are more items in the chocolates stand than I could ever eat. I may not be able to afford them all but I am still in love with them. Just in case you are throwing away your chocolates you may give them all to me. As of now I could say that I am still in love.

Thursday, October 3, 2013

Whenever I hear of European products, I thought of pasta and sauces. I am not a lover of those Italian foods either as carbonara and the like. When I watched Chef Luigi Muhlach demonstrated Marks and Spencer products last Sunday, I was delighted that the east has to meet the west with bagoong.

Chef Luigi Muhlach cooked vegetable curry and bagoong rice. This is how he did it:

Tuesday, October 1, 2013

Isn't it animals are famous? Birds are (Angry). Chickens are (Invaders). Then Percy is the famous pig.

Percy Pig and Penny Pig

Percy Pig is exclusive to Marks and Spencer, developed 15 years ago. Percy is also popular that he even has his own fan club on Facebook with over 50, 000 members.

Percy Pigs (center and bottom) and Colin the Caterpillar (top, left and right)

Children will of course like to eat candies that look like pigs, pig tails, noses and the like. Here are some of them, all from Marks and Spencer.

Pig tails and noses from Marks and Spencer

with piglets

with pals

Marks
and Spencer is one of UK’s leading retailers, selling stylish, high quality,
great value clothing and home products, as well as outstanding quality food,
responsibly sourced from around 2,000 suppliers globally.

Monday, September 30, 2013

Marks and Spencer
is one of UK’s leading retailers, selling stylish, high quality, great value
clothing and home products, as well as outstanding quality food, responsibly
sourced from around 2,000 suppliers globally.

Thursday, September 26, 2013

We Bicolanos are said to be
lovers of chili. We love to eat spicy foods. We sprinkle sili to ginataang gulay –
some green and some red. We call the small super hot red sili as sambalas. At
home, we plant chili in the back yard. We use the leaves in tinolang manok and the green sili
too.

We use sili
in atchara and all other menus at
home. In Metro Manila, the price of sili
is such as spicy too. Despite that we still manage to have sili in our food. I am glad that in Metro Manila, while they may
not have the world’s famous sili
eating contest, they cook and fry sili
like turon. Aside from that, we make
our homemade condiments like sukang
sawsawan with sili and bawang to like how they do with pinakurat in Mindanao.Last week, I met
a lawyer who told me that because of his love for sili, he lost his golden voice fit for singing with the band. He is
a Bicolano too. Nevertheless, he still loves sili – something that I really
cannot live without.

Thursday, September 19, 2013

In Metro Manila while in a restaurant, I seldom order sea
shells like scallops if not for a special occasion or a celebration. Simply
because those are expensive while special occasions are once in a blue moon for
me.

Empty shell decor inside Little Quiapo Restaurant in Quezon City.

I am already contented with what I see inside a restaurant that decorates
its walls, corners or façade with sea shells. I like the interior design of
Little Quiapo restaurant in Quezon City. Inside the restaurant is homey
atmosphere. The restaurant is not so huge but a lot of people go there for
lunch because of affordable food.

It is said that Little Quiapo has established
its name since 1949.

Little Quiapo Restaurant, since 1949.

When I visited Lapu Lapu City, I was stunned by the sea
foods there. The sea foods that I almost feared to eat in Metro Manila for
being afraid of escalating bills are abundant in Lapu Lapu City. The empty sea
shell which I pictured as decoration in Little Quiapo can be eaten and is
called “saang” by locals. I told myself, “this is it!” And it was not just true
but more than true to be full.

Saturday, September 14, 2013

Shabu-Shabu and Grill. Yes, the term is shabu-shabu. First time I heard of the word, I thought of what? Methamphetamine hydrochloride. Sounds weird but that's what I thought of really.

Three years ago, I ate in an all-you-can restaurant and spa in Pasay City, the one with shabu-shabu. I did not enjoy the food because first and foremost, I was alone. And then, I did not know how to cook with the shabu-shabu. I just watched the buthane gas in front of me then. Instead, I just took some foods that I knew and familiar with me. While other enjoyed cooking, I just enjoyed watching them.

I was among the not so many Filipinos who were in that spa and restaurant during that time. The rest were mostly Koreans. I thought I was the one going there alone, I saw few Koreans and Japanese too, alone. The point is, while I enjoyed the spa, I did not enjoy the food. Eating is really not so fun while being alone.

Last week, I visited another shabu-shabu and grill - now, in Quezon City. I was glad to go there not by myself but with a company of several people. I was not alone, hence I enjoyed the foods. I ate a lot, and learned what they did with the shabu-shabu.

Tong Yang in Eton Centris, Quezon City.

Thanks to the accommodating waiters of Tong-Yang in Eton Centris. I enjoyed so much the kimchi. I ate kimchi in Malaysia before and in Japan when I went there. And last year, I ate kim-chi in Makati. Sounds funny? Yes. The minimum gap is a year before my next kimchi tasting.

Kimchi

I thought of what will I do with those raw and uncooked foods. Shall I take the cooked yang chow together with crabs without efforts of cooking? Or shall I sample with those fish bellly? Now I know what to do. Now I know how to do it. Indeed funny for an introvert like me. Maybe not introvert but frugal mom like me. (Explaining...)

What do you want to cook?

This is the difference between the Philippines and other European countries. Food is affordable anywhere. Fine dining is fun. Eat-all-you-can restaurants are cheaper. You don't have to book for a month before you can get seated for a fine dining. Just have money and you can go to a restaurant of your choice. It is indeed more fun dining in the Philippines.

For other eat-all-you-can restaurants, you can also try Dad's with one free buffet for every group of ten and Kamay Kainan with authentic Filipino dishes.

Tuesday, September 10, 2013

There are various juices available in stores for us. In restaurants, choose your juice.

I like juices of course. I worry however the amount of sugar mixed in the juice.

Look at these variety of flavors. Do you have any idea on the amount of sugar put it?

Choose your flavor. Choose your color.

In the Philippines, the most abundant juice perhaps is famously referred to as "buko" juice. It is coconut juice abundant everywhere. Coconuts grow throughout the country making the juice freshly available all the time.

In Quezon City Memorial Circle, it is nice to drink some buko juice after a morning or night jogging. Or after a free time strolling, you can buy it at a very affordable price as low as five pesos.